


You Shouldn't Kiss Me Like This

by Katybug1992



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Fluffy, M/M, Non-Linear Narrative, some light angst but not for long
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:35:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23338498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katybug1992/pseuds/Katybug1992
Summary: Sometimes all it takes it one kiss to turn one kind of relationship into something better.
Relationships: Jaden Schwartz/Jonathan Toews, Jeff Skinner/Jared Staal, Joel Edmundson/Colton Parayko, Mitch Marner/Auston Matthews, Robert Thomas/Matthew Tkachuk, Sidney Crosby/Claude Giroux, Travis Konecny/Nolan Patrick
Comments: 2
Kudos: 37





	You Shouldn't Kiss Me Like This

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the song "You Shouldn't Kiss Me Like This" by Toby Keith

1\. I got a funny feelin', the moment that your lips touched mine. Somethin' shot right through me, my heart skipped a beat in time.

Eddy dragged Colton out of the bar and Colton followed along happily. The city was theirs. They could do literally anything they wanted and it wouldn’t matter. They won the fucking Stanley Cup, first Blues team to ever do it and hopefully not the last. And Colton didn’t know where Eddy was taking him but he would follow him anywhere. It was a problem. Petro had joked many times that Joel was a bad influence on Colton and Colton liked to refer to Joel as his favorite bad influence. Because he was, but in a good way.

Since meeting Joel, Colton had come out of his shell. He kind of had to. Being around someone like Eddy had somehow made Colton more comfortable with himself. He could see it in watching back old interviews or looking at old pictures, when he tried to make himself smaller, when he tried not to sound like he had no idea what he was talking about. More and more exposure to Joel Edmundson had helped him to be more comfortable with himself and helped him to grow. And sure, the vets on the team and his coaches had helped a lot, too. He wasn’t credited his growth solely to Eddy, but he wasn’t stupid enough to deny that Eddy was part of it.

“Where are we going?” Colton finally thought to ask as he saw that the Arch was much closer than it had been before.

“Come on!” Eddy grinned back at, grabbing his arm and pulling him across the street and onto the arch grounds.

They made their way through the grounds all the way to the end, leaning against the wall that overlooked the levy and the Mississippi.

Colton kept his gaze on the river. It was gross, always brown with mud, and pollution, and whatever else was flowing in that water, but he always liked watching it. It had a kind of beauty to it. A quiet kind of beauty, much like this city. This city that was home as much as Alberta was. Maybe more. He spent more time here, he grew into an actual adult here. His teammates, his family...they didn’t usually leave as soon as they could. They stuck around the city before going to where they grew up, or off on vacation. They all usually came back a little earlier than some of Colton’s other friends in the League returned to their cities before training camp.

He loved this city and he could definitely understand why someone like Perron would want to come back at every chance. 

When he glanced over at Eddy, he was already looking at him.

“What?” Colton asked, mind still a little hazy, “Do I have something on my face? Because Dunner said -”

“I just like looking at you.” Eddy replied, shrugging and turning his gaze back out to the river.

“Why?”

Because that’s apparently the only thing Colton’s brain could come up with in response.

“Jeez, Colt,” Eddy laughs, “Look at yourself. In all of your Prince Charming glory.”

Eddy sounds almost fond.

“I’m not Prince Charming.” Colton replied, rolling his eyes, “I stole a news camera.”

Eddy throws his head back, laughing, and says, “Right, I forgot all about that. Very Colton-With-A-K.”

Colton grinned as he dissolved into giggles. He leaned more against Eddy as his giggles lessened and Eddy threw an arm around him. Colton tucked his face into Eddy’s neck, the only guy on the team he could really do that with, and they were both silent again.

“Hey, Colt?”

“Hmm?”

“We’re Stanley Cup Champs.”

“Yup.”

“Has it sunk in yet?”

“Not really. Like, I know it’s real, but it’s still….”

“Unreal?”

“Yeah.”

“We did good.”

“We made this city proud.”

They both grinned at that. Because this city had welcomed them and cheered them on since their rookie year. This city had become home.

Suddenly, Joel moved to standing in front of Colton, hands on the blond’s hips and gently pressing him against the wall.

“Edds?”

“Colt,” Eddy breathed out, pressing his forehead against Colton’s as the larger man looped his arms around Eddy’s neck, “I really wanna kiss you?”

“Because I look like Prince Charming?” Colton tried to keep his voice even. 

“No,” Joel shook his head like it offended him that he thought Joel only wanted to kiss him because of what he looked like, “because of everything about you.”

“Eddy… you’re drunk.”

“‘M not. Not really anymore. I mean, I wouldn’t trust me to drive, but I trust me to tell you the truth.”

“Truth about what?”

“I love you, Colt. Like, actual love. Like I want to give up hooking up with people for you. Like -”

“Edds,” Colton cuts him off, “just kiss me.”

And Joel does, leaning Colton back as he crashes their lips together.

They just stay like that for a little while, kissing lazily, until Colton accidentally pulls Eddy’s hair a little and the kiss heats up after that.

“Yours or Mine?” Colton gasps, finally breaking the kiss.

“Mine’s closer.” Joel replied, voice rough as he started sucking on Colton’s neck.

And they really need to get out of there. Because they may be able to get away with anything right now but Chief and Army aren’t going to be happy if a story gets published about them getting caught fucking in public.

They spend almost the whole summer together, their teammates not at all surprised when they tell them and Colton blushed as money is exchanged between several of them (he lets out an offended gasp as JayBo collects his winnings and Colton claims that Schwartzy is his new favorite since he wasn’t part of the bets - Colton ignores the fact that Jaden has been much too busy sorting out his own relationship drama this season to care about anyone else's).

When the trade happens, they don’t have long to talk about it. Just a brief “I don’t want to give you up” before Eddy is in the Lyft on the way to the airport. 

Colton doesn’t get to talk to him, really talk to him, for a couple of days. And when they do, he’s firmly expecting Eddy to end things. Because it’s one thing for Joel to be committed to their relationship when they’re spending everyday together, it’s another when they’re not going to get any substantial time together until off season. And it would be another thing if it would be easy to meet in the middle, the way Crosby and Giroux can, the way Jaden and his not-so-secret-but-hasn’t-actually-told-anyone boyfriend Toews can. Saint Louis and Raleigh aren’t close.

But Eddy surprises Colton when the first words out of his mouth are, “I love you and I want to do this.”

And Colton’s smile is so wide he thinks it almost breaks his face.

2\. There's a different feel about you tonight, it's got me thinkin' lots of crazy things. I even think I saw a flash of light, it felt like electricity.

Jeff found Jared in the backyard with Eric’s kids. Jared was up for his Christmas break and Eric had the Hurricanes over for the team Christmas party. And Jared was always invited, always treated like he was part of a team he only played with one or two games a season. And Eric tried to understand, Jordan tried to understand, Marc was the only one who got closest to understanding but even then he didn’t really get it. 

So Jared distracted himself with his nephews during the team gatherings. The team was in Eric’s living room and he was in back, playing soccer with Parker while actually having a full conversation with Levi. It never ceased to amaze Jeff, watching Jared respond to the youngest while diving to get to the way wide kick from the oldest.

“Shouldn’t you be inside?” Jared asked, looking briefly over at him before needing to move swiftly to get to the ball.

“And miss spending time with my favorite Staal brother?” Jeff grinned.

“Ha,” Jared replied, sending the ball back to Parker with some fancy footwork, “‘m no one’s favorite Staal.”

“I’m pretty sure you’re your brothers’ favorite, so…” Jeff tried to make Jared smile. Because Jared really was the favorite amongst the brothers. And he really was Jeff’s favorite. Always had been. He played with a mix of all of his brothers’ styles and Jeff really didn’t know why he wasn’t making the jump.

“They don’t count.” Jared rolled his eyes, sending the ball back to Parker and this time purposely kicking it past him so he would have to run after it, “At least I’m good at tiring out Eric’s kids.”

“Jay…”

Jeff was cut off by Tanya opening the door, “Come inside, boys. Uncle Jay came out here sulk, not play.”

Parker and Levi whined while Jared gave his sister-in-law an unamused look, but the boys headed inside, running over to their dad to brag about how much better at soccer he was than their other uncles and dad.

Jeff grinned and turned back to look at Jared, who was now sitting under a tree in the far corner of the yard, where he wouldn’t be visible through any of the windows. And everything about his posture begged to be left alone. But Jeff couldn’t leave him alone.

He had always been drawn to the youngest Staal. And he wanted - needed - to get him out of his head. To do something, anything, to get the slightest smile out of him.

“I’ve never been as good as brothers at anything.” Jared finally said as Jeff made himself comfortable on the ground next to him, “And they’re no help. All they say is to keep playing my best and I’ll make the jump. I’m already playing my best. My best isn’t good enough, never has been.”

“Jay -”

“And it doesn’t help that I’m a forward like Jordan and Eric. I’m constantly compared to them. And I’m not them. I’ll never be them.”

“And you don’t have to be.” Jeff rushed to respond, “You’re your own person, you’re not your last name.”

“Yeah, right.” Jared rolled his eyes, “Tell that to every coach I’ve ever had. The worst part is that I can’t even talk to my brothers about this. They wouldn’t understand.”

“I may not be able to understand,” Jeff bumped their shoulders together, “but you can always talk to me and I promise to listen, with no judgement. I promise to only listen and try not to fix it, just let you vent. And if Eric ever gets to be too much while you’re up visiting, come to my place.”

“Thanks, Jeff,” Jared gave him a tired smile and Jeff laced their fingers together.

“I have your back.” Jeff responded, squeezing their hands. Lifting them, he brushed his lips over Jared’s knuckles and said, “I’m always in your corner.”

And he finally got the smile he was looking for from Jared, who leaned over and brushed their lips together, whispering, “thanks”.

They continued semi-dating, neither of them seeing anyone else but also never taking that last step. Jared playing in Scotland kind of threw an unexpected wrench in things but they made it work, scheduling FaceTime dates when they could, talking once a day - even if it was only for five minutes.

And by the time Jared was returning from Scotland, Jeff had made himself at home in Buffalo. The house he purchased was purchased with Jared in the back of his head.

“I have some feelers out,” Jared said as he spoke to Jeff over the phone from Marc’s house outside the city, where he was staying for his first few days back in the states, “but there’s a coaching job in Orlando that sounds promising.”

“Or you could come to Buffalo?” Jeff found himself suggesting.

“What?” Jared finally spoke after a pause that went on a little too long for Jeff’s comfort.

“Come to Buffalo.” Jeff repeated himself with more confidence, “Come to Buffalo and move in with me. And then, in a couple of months, I’ll propose because let’s face, we’ve been together long enough that I should have proposed before you ran off to Scotland, but I chickened out because we never had the DTR talk and I was scared even though I knew we were exclusive but not talking about it.”

“You want me to come to Buffalo?” Jared asked, voice soft.

“Yes, please.” Jeff replied.

“And what would I do there? Join the WAGs?”

“Not if you don’t want to.” Jeff rushed to respond, “You mentioned a coaching gig in Orlando, I’m sure you can find one here. Even if it’s Youth or Kid League. And that may not pay as well, or anything, but I can support us. I just want you to be happy and I want you to be happy with me and I want us to be happy in the same place, for the first time.”

“Yeah,” Jared breathed before clearing his throat, “Yeah. Give me a couple days to get over jetlag and I’ll head up.”

“I love you, Jared.”

“Love you, too, Jeff.”

3\. You shouldn't kiss me like this, unless you mean it like that, 'cause I'll just close my eyes and I won't know where I'm at. We'll get lost on this dance floor, spinnin' around and around and around and around.

Team Canada had been bound and determined that Claude and Sidney become friends during the tournament, from Nate insisting that Claude sit next to Sid that first team lunch to Coach putting them on the same line. And Claude hated that they actually started to get along. 

And they played amazing hockey together, the gold medals around their necks proof of that. They’re all in a bar somewhere in Prague, Seguin found it and none of them had really asked any questions.

Claude’s talking to a guy who has no idea who he is and is nice to look at when Sid comes over and slides an arm around Claude’s waist.

“Come dance with me, G.” Sid says into Claude’s ear, and Claude no longer cares about the cute guy he had been talking to and he doesn’t give a fuck that Sean and Schenner will definitely give him shit for this, he lets Sid drag him onto the dance floor and pull him close, Claude’s back to his chest.

And this is a new dynamic that developed between them that Claude got used to way too quickly. The first time they actively sought out each other’s company, Nate had this ridiculous grin on his face. And Claude wasn’t ashamed of what he wanted, he was just surprised by the “who” that what turned out to be. So he lost himself to the beat and set about to make Sid lose his cool in the way that only he knew he could. Because no one made Sid react to anything the way Claude could. And, sure, he usually used that to piss him off, get under his skin, made him slip up. 

But tonight he was planning on using it in a way that would be a win-win for both of them. And from the feel of it, Sid was definitely on board with that. So, Claude double-downs and goes for it, and their dancing goes from normal to dirty too fast and he finds himself spun around, looping his arms around Sid’s neck as the other man tightens his grip on Claude’s hips. 

And then Sid’s lips are on his and the kiss is filthy but loving at the same time and Claude has never experienced anything like this before. Sure, he’s made out in clubs, bars, alleys outside of clubs and bars...but none of those faceless men were Sidney Crosby. Sidney Crosby, who had been his nemesis since he came into the League and had now morphed into someone he thought about fondly, thought about in the context of an actual human being. Someone who he had made out with more than once during this tournament, but none of those sessions had this fire behind them.

“Let’s go back to the hotel.” Sid breathed out, breaking the kiss but not going far.

“Yeah.” Claude nodded, letting Sid pull him toward the door, “Wait.”

“Second thoughts?” Sid actually looked scared.

“No,” Claude was quick to assure him, “I just need to make sure Sean and Schenner are going to be okay.”

“Looking out for your baby Flyers?” Sid grinned, “Didn’t take you for a Dad Captain.”

“Honestly? I didn’t either.” Claude laughs.

Three minutes later, Claude met Sid outside and Sid opened the door of the waiting taxi for him. They managed to keep from making out in the back of the cab because they were adults, but Sid was thoroughly distracting Claude by tracing nonsense designs on the inside of Claude’s upper thigh the entire ride.

They manage to make it to the room without being the center of a scandalizing incident and Claude finds himself being shoved onto the bed and finds that he doesn’t care because Sid is on top of him seconds later, kissing him even deeper than he had in club, a little less heat and a little more emotion.

And Claude learns that Sid fucks like he plays hockey and he does it while looking down at Claude like he’s found the answer to a question he’s had his whole life. They reach their peaks together and Sid kisses him through the afterglow before pulling out and getting a washcloth to wipe him down. 

“Should we talk about this?” Sid asks as he returns to the bed, laying down next to Claude, who turns on his side to face him.

“We probably should.” Claude nods, “What are your thoughts?”

“I want you.” Sid responds, “Have since you first started running your mouth at me on the ice. You never treat me like I’m Sidney Crosby, you treat me like I’m any other person you wanted to beat. And I want to give you, I want to give us, a try.”

“We do seem to work very well together.” Claude nodded, Sid giving him a playful shove at the faux-pensive look on his face, “I wouldn’t mind giving us a shot either.”

“There’s still a lot to figure out.”

“Yes, but for now,” Claude rolled them so he was on top of Sid, “I’m gonna suck you hard again and then ride you.”

And Sid was definitely on board with that.

A couple years later, found them back at that same bar in Prague, with Sid on one knee and Claude crying a little as he nodded his head, unable to get actual words out.

4\. They're all watchin' us now, they think we're fallin' in love, they'd never believe we're just friends. When you kiss me like this, I think you mean it like that. If you do baby kiss me again.

Travis had been bragging about having the hottest date at Simmer’s wedding, arm looped through Nolan’s the whole night, dragging him around to socialize and then onto the dancefloor.

“You can’t go to a wedding and not dance, Patts!” Travis grinned up at him.

When the song changed to a sappy slow song, Nolan made to get off the dance floor and Travis stopped him, wrapping his arms around Patty’s waist with a grin and Nolan really had no choice but to loop his arms around TK’s shoulder. The height difference was hilarious and Nolan was sure they looked awkward despite TK’s arguments that they were the cutest couple there and rolling his eyes when Nolan would retort that they weren’t actually a couple.

But Nolan melted into it quickly, able to tune out everything else, even G - who was filming them with a proud look on his face.

“You look nice tonight, Patty,” TK grinned up at him.

“We’re wearing the same thing, Teeks.” Nolan responded. 

Travis had insisted they go suit shopping together and Nolan didn’t realize why until it was too late.

“So, you’re saying I look good, too, right?” Travis wiggled his eyebrows and he looked ridiculous.

“You look ridiculous when you do that.” Nolan informed him.

“Patty,” TK whined, “tell your date he looks good.”

“You look good tonight, Travis.” Nolan relented, wanting to keep Teeks from making a scene and also to see the large grin that spread across Travis’ face.

“I know.”

Nolan rolls his eyes and Travis is, surprisingly, silent for the rest of the song.

When it ends, Travis is pulling him off of the dancefloor and outside. And Nolan is letting him because he would let Travis do anything. It’s a problem.

“Do you ever think about…?” Travis trails off and starts making vague hand motions toward the reception hall as they walk down the pathway.

“Not really,” Nolan answers honestly, “it’s not like I’m gonna get that anytime soon, anyway.”

He hated how true it was, that he wasn’t going to get married while being an active player in the NHL. Not even Claude and Crosby had come out and they were Claude Giroux and Sidney Crosby. 

“I think about it,” Travis responded, “I think about the who a lot.”

“Yeah?” Nolan grinned, “Got a secret boyfriend, Teeks?”

“No, asshole,” TK glared up at him briefly before laughing, “I think about the person I want to be with for the rest of my life. And all I see is you.”

“You proposing?”

“Not yet. But I was thinking that we could get dinner, at that fancy place Crosby took G to, and see where it goes from there?”

Nolan pressed his lips to Travis’ briefly and pulled away, heading back to the reception.

“Was that a yes or a no?!”

Nolan grinned at him in response and that was the answer Travis needed.

“You’re an asshole.” Travis jogged to catch up with him, “When we go out, I’m ordering the worst wine on the list for you.”

They survive the season and no one is remotely surprised - Sean, apparently, thought they had already been dating.

And when the migraines take Patty out, TK does everything he can to help. Sometimes it’s swinging by their favorite dinner to pick up a ton of unhealthy diner food for them to gorge themselves on. Sometimes it’s figuring out how to control the brightness of the tv and installing dimmers on all the light switches. Sometimes it’s just laying next to Nolan in the pitch dark, holding the younger man curled against him, both of them trying to will the pain to go away.

And no matter what kind of day it’s been, it always ends with three words whispered between them, “I love you”.

5\. Everybody swears we make the perfect pair, but dancin' is as far as it goes. You've never moved me quite the way you moved me tonight. I just wanted you to know.

It’s not the first time he and Mitch have been told that they’re a perfect couple. It’s become a joke on the team. They’re the married couple, have been since their rookie year. It doesn’t matter that they’re not together, that they never were. And just because Auston wishes that were different doesn’t mean that Mitch feels the same.

Except there are times when he feels like Mitch does. Like, sometimes he’ll look over and see Mitch already looking at him. Like how Mitch definitely has a smile he reserves just for Auston. Like how Mitch will drop almost everything to hang out with Auston (the only people he won’t cancel on are McDavid and Strome). 

Like how when Auston arrived at Mitch’s for their mandatory weekly “Chill Night”, where they’re not even allowed to think about hockey, he sees that Mitch has actually cooked dinner. And it doesn’t smell or look even a little burned. 

“When’d you learn how to cook?” Auston asks jokingly.

Mitch just rolls his eyes and makes him get his own drink.

And dinner is good, like, really good. And then they’re on the couch bickering about what to watch on Netflix and then Auston has Mitch pressed into the couch and they’re making out and they know it’s going somewhere.

“Aus?” Mitch breaths out when they finally part.

“Mitchy?” Auston replied reverently, eyes taking in every detail of Mitch’s face.

“Take me to bed?”

And Auston doesn’t need to be asked twice before he’s pulling himself and then Mitch up and toward Mitch’s room.

They wake up the next morning, gloriously naked and tangled together, and Auston kisses him with no regard for morning breath.

“Love you,” Mitch gives him a lazy smile, basking in the early morning light coming in through his window.

“Love you.” Auston grins, pressing a kiss to Mitch’s nose and smiles dopily as it sets Mitch off into a fit of giggles.

Crosby and Giroux come out by releasing the photo of Sid proposing and Mitch and Auston wait a couple weeks out of courtesy before posting their own adorable couple photo. A photo from the Family Skate, taken by Willy, of them lazily skating around the rink. Their fingers are laced together and Auston’s face is so incredibly fond in a way that only Mitch has ever been able to bring out.

6\. You shouldn't kiss me like this, unless you mean it like that, 'cause I'll just close my eyes and I won't know where I'm at. And we'll get lost on this dance floor, spinnin' around and around and around and around.

Jaden hated Jonathan Toews. He did. Sure, they tended to fall into bed together pretty frequently, but it didn’t mean anything. And it certainly didn’t mean anything that Toews was the only consistent partner Jaden had had for the last several years. He had tried hooking up with other people, oh did he try. But none of them measured up to Jonathan and that frustrated him to no end. Because he didn’t need Jonathan. And it’s not like Jonathan didn’t have other people slept with.

Jaden didn’t even remember what had started it. But it had continued and it wasn’t a secret. They knew their teammates knew why they never stayed at the hotel when they were in each other’s cities. And if they lingered a little bit longer lately it wasn’t talked about. There had been a time when Jaden couldn’t be paid enough to stay the night after they finished but lately he had had a hard time leaving. 

Then they started meeting up half-way between, sometimes closer to Chicago, sometimes closer to Saint Louis, it just depended on schedules. Then they started texting regularly and then they started calling each other to check in. And the Play-Offs happened. And Jonathan showed up at Jaden’s door before Game Three against Winnipeg and watched the rest of the run from Jaden’s couch, helped Jaden in anyway he could (simply doing laundry or cooking dinner or being a sounding board when Jaden needed to vent - this really just happen after the hand-pass incident), and slept in Jaden’s bed every night - holding the younger man when he was home and cuddling his pillow when he wasn’t.

When Jaden got home from winning the Cup, Jonathan greeted him at the door with a, “Welcome home, Stanley Cup Champion”.

Jaden had flung his arms around Jonathan and kissed him - this one so much more than the other kisses they had ever shared. This one wasn’t driven by hunger and want. This one was fueled by love and affection and pure elation that Jonathan was there to share this moment with him.

“I love you.” Jaden gasped as they broke apart.

And Jonathan quickly dragged him upstairs because he knew he loved Jaden but Jaden saying those words out loud, those words that were so hard for Jaden to say, to admit, meant everything.

They continued to text. They continued their phone calls. They continued to meet up whenever possible. But the meetups were no longer just for sex. There would be food and romance and talking and then really, really good sex. Like Jaden didn’t think they could have better sex than they already had been having. But, boy, was he wrong.

And each night they were seperated, they sent a good night text. Because they had somehow become that couple. And Jaden was okay with that. Because Jonny was worth it.

7\. They're all watchin' us now, they think we're fallin' in love, they'd never believe we're just friends. When you kiss me like this, I think you mean it like that. If you do baby kiss me again.

Chantal watched Matthew and Robby fondly, leaning on the kitchen island and cradling her coffee in both her hands. Robby couldn’t make it back to Toronto for Christmas so they got to keep him for the holiday. Currently, he was curled up next to Matthew on the couch, the fireplace lit in front of them. Robby had stumbled upstairs in his pajama pants and an old Knights hoodie, one that definitely wasn’t his.

And Matthew had almost run into a wall when he saw him and recovered semi-quickly. He was lucky his dad and siblings weren’t there to witness it. 

“You still have that?” Matthew’s voice was rough, his gaze still fixed on the hoodie.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Robby replied, laughing slightly, “You gave it to me.”

And Chantal saw the minute her first born’s brain stopped working and she told both boys that breakfast was ready. 

When they had finished they retreated to the couch and threw on Elf, but neither of them were paying any attention to the movie, too wrapped up in each other. And it was adorable. Any other year, Matthew would have been complaining that no one else was up yet and how he wanted to open presents. 

But this year, Robby was here. And Robby always had a calming presence about him. And Matthew was always quick to focus everything on Robby and how that boy hadn’t made a move yet, Chantal didn’t know. Because Robby very obviously returned those feelings - he had told Chantal himself (after being out with the team during the Cup celebrating mayhem so he was a little drunk and probably didn’t remember telling her) - and he wasn’t going to make that move.

She would consider a next step but for now, she would get the rest of her family fed and attempt to keep the sibling squabbles to a minimum (Robby would be a huge help there, as well, because Matthew and Brady tended to behave more when he was around).

“Merry Christmas!” she grinned as Keith stumbled into the kitchen, followed shortly by Brady and Taryn.

They were gathered around the Christmas tree and Matthew pulled one last gift out from under the tree and handed it to Robby.

“Matty, you already -” Robby’s eyes went wide.

“This is better.” Matthew responded, “I saw it and had to get it for you.”

Robby unwrapped it and opened the box, eyes going wide before he looked over at Matthew, launching himself at him and throwing his arms around him.

“So, you like it?” Matthew laughed, wrapping his arms around Robby and holding him tightly.

“I love it,” Robby responded, snatching the box away from Brady with a smirk.

“Oh, come on!” Brady complained.

“You have to show us if it got that reaction.” Taryn tagged on.

“No, he doesn’t,” Matthew responded, “Besides, you guys wouldn’t understand.”

Robby’s eyes softened even further as he whispered another thank you.

A couple hours later, Robby disappeared downstairs to call his family and when he came back up there was a sprig of mistletoe over the doorway to the basement.

“You can’t move until someone kisses you.” Brady grinned from where he was helping Chantal with dinner.

Matthew didn’t even think about it as he walked over - because helping Robby was second nature to him - and kissed the younger boy. The two stared at each other for a minute before retreating down the stairs, Matthew closing the door firmly behind him.

They don’t wait long after Giroux and Crosby come up to do their own posts. Robby’s post is a simple selfie with a caption containing the rainbow of heart emojis. Matthew’s post is much longer, the journey of him realizing how he feels about Robby and their journey so far as a couple - because he’s always been dramatic. 

And the family never finds out what Matthew’s special gift for Robby was, but Robby will always say that it was one of the most special gifts he’s ever been given.


End file.
